Photos from Chur
Chur Railway Stationtransit
+2Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina Landscapesattraction
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Public-transit operators within 8 km of the city center. Click through to each operator’s site for routes, fares, and tickets.
Chur is the capital and largest town of the Swiss canton of the Grisons and lies in the Grisonian Rhine Valley, where the Rhine turns towards the north, in the northern part of the canton. The city, on the right bank of the Rhine, is reputedly the oldest town in Switzerland.
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My Chur travel guide. The Bernina and Glacier Express launch point, the oldest continuously inhabited town in Switzerland, and getting in from Zurich.
Chur is the oldest continuously inhabited town in Switzerland and the practical launch point for two of the country's scenic-train routes. The old town is small, the Bernina Express to Tirano leaves from the station, and the Glacier Express to Zermatt connects through the same platforms.
Chur sits about 120 km southeast of Zurich. SBB intercity trains run direct from Zurich HB to Chur every 30 minutes, the journey takes about 75 minutes.
| Mode | Time | Cost | When to use |
|---|---|---|---|
| SBB intercity train | 75 min | ~CHF 38 second class, ~CHF 60 first class | The default. Direct from Zurich HB, every 30 minutes. The Swiss Travel Pass covers the route |
| Car via A3/A13 | ~100 min | Rental + ~CHF 35 vignette + fuel | Useful only if you are continuing into the Engadin or the Italian lakes. Otherwise the train is faster door-to-door |
| Bus PostBus from Zurich | 2 hr 30 min | ~CHF 25 | Cheaper than the train, slower and less reliable |
From Zurich Airport (ZRH) the same SBB trains run direct to Chur in about 85 minutes, no transfer through Zurich HB needed.
Three reasons. The Bernina Express leaves from the station, with the route into Tirano (Italy) one of the most-photographed Alpine rail rides in the world. The Glacier Express runs the other direction toward Zermatt. And the old town itself is small, walkable, and a thousand years older than most of central Europe.
Chur works primarily as the interchange for the Bernina and Glacier Express routes. Hotels cluster between the station and old town for itineraries that require a connection between trains.
The old town is compact enough that any central hotel puts everything within walking distance. The atlas does not yet carry hotel pins for Chur, so book on the usual sites and read recent reviews for the property.
A few neighborhood notes for picking by feel rather than chain:
I would use the sightseeing time for the old town first, then Haldenstein Castle if the weather is good.
Give the old town about 90 minutes if you stop for the cathedral and the museum. From Postplatz, walk up Reichsgasse to the Obertor (the medieval upper gate), then loop back through Arcas Square (the painted-facade plaza locals use as the photo spot) and the cathedral close. The Cathedral of St Mary is the 12th-century anchor, free to enter. The Rätisches Museum at the same square is the regional history museum, around CHF 8, useful if Roman-era Graubünden interests you.
If you have another half-day, Haldenstein Castle sits across the Rhine from Chur, about 4 km out. The 16th-century courtyard is still largely intact, and the ruins are free to wander. Take PostBus or walk the river path, about 50 minutes each way.
This is the actual reason most travelers route through Chur.
The Bernina Express runs from Chur to Tirano (Italy) in about 4 hours, crossing the Bernina Pass at 2,253 m. The route is a UNESCO World Heritage rail line. Panoramic-windowed cars, reservation required, around CHF 66 second class plus the reservation fee. Book ahead in summer.
The Glacier Express runs Chur to Zermatt in about 8 hours, billed as the "slowest express train in the world." Same panoramic-window format, also reservation required, around CHF 145 second class plus reservation. The route crosses the Oberalp Pass.
The scenic trains do not run twice a day, so reverse legs need to fit the published schedule. Chur has the widest hotel choice for connections on either side of those routes.
